1. Target Discovery of Inflammation-related Diseases

2. Development of First-In-Class drugs

Research Projects

(1) Research on roles of P2Y₆R in atherosclerosis and targeted intervention mechanism of lead compound. National Natural Science Foundation of China, NSFC81872867. R&D Funds: 550, 000 RMB.

(2) Research on regulatory effects of P2Y₁₄R on acute gouty arthritis and targeted intervention mechanism of lead compound. National Natural Science Foundation of China, NSFC81773745. R&D Funds: 615, 000 RMB.

(3) Exploring the molecular mechanism of P2Y₁₄R-targeted therapy to alleviate inflammatory bowel disease based on programmed necrosis of intestinal epithelial cells. Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China, BK20211223. R&D Funds: 100, 000 RMB.

(4) Research on molecular mechanisms of 1β, 3β, 23-Trihydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid in treating uric acid nephropathy. National Natural Science Foundation of China, NSFC81202573. R&D Funds: 230, 000 RMB.

(5) Joint laboratory of China Pharmaceutical University- Jiangyin USUN Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.Joint laboratory. R&D Funds: 10, 000, 000 RMB.

(6) Pharmaco-dynamic study of Jinsiwei, a formulation for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. R&D Funds: 1, 020, 000 RMB.

(7) Development of drug evaluation models for tumor organoids at the cellular and animal levels. R&D Funds: 600, 000 RMB.

(8) A Project Funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions: The fate regulation of phagocyte and treatment of inflammation-related diseases. R&D Funds: 500, 000 RMB.

(9) Effect of UP-611-NA on improving hyperpigmentation after inflammation. R&D Funds: 108, 800 RMB.

(10) Exploration of training mode of doctor of pharmacy under new medical background, jiangsu graduate education teaching reform topic.

Academic Awards

(1) 2022, Qinglan Project of Jiangsu, Young and middle-aged academic leaders of Jiangsu College and University, 1/1. 

(2) 2022, Excellent Guide Teacher Award of Jiangsu Postgraduate Research Innovation and Practice Competition on “Extraction and Application of Biological Resources from Medicinal and Food Sources”, 1/2.

(3) 2020, Excellent Guide Teacher Award of the 13th Annual National College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Conference, 1/2.

(4) 2019, The Excellent Key Youth Teacher of Qinglan Project of Jiangsu.

Representative Research Achievements

(1) Prof. Hu was devoted to exploring the deep relation between P2Y₁₄R and immune inflammatory diseases. He firstly reported the key role of P2Y₁₄R in acute gouty arthritis, proposed that activated P2Y₁₄R participate in acute gouty arthritis through promoting NLRP3 mediated pyroptosis of macrophage and regulating the switch between NETosis and apoptosis of neutrophils relying on cAMP/PKA signals. These studies have been published in Cell Death Dis, Front Immunol, Int J Biol Sci, etc.

(2) Prof. Hu has identified that the role of P2Y₁₄R regulatory macrophage foam in atherosclerosis. Deletion of P2Y₁₄R alleviated atherogenesis in LDLR^-/- mice and inhibited uptake of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) in macrophage through decreasing scavenger receptor A (SR-A) expression. Thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) was found as a potent P2Y₁₄R antagonist using high-throughput Glide docking pipeline from repurposing drugs library, which provided a promising therapeutic strategy for atherosclerosis. The findings were published in Drug Discov Today, and has also been submitted to Sci Adv, which is being revised.

(3) Prof. Hu has long been engaged in target discovery and new drug development for immune inflammation-related diseases. The research team has also worked closely with the Department of Medicinal Chemistry to develop novel P2Y₁₄R inhibitors based on Homology modeling and Virtual Screening, to explore candidate drugs targeting purine receptors for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. The research work on small molecule inhibitors has been published in J Adv Res, J Med Chem, Eur J Med Chem, Int Immunopharmacol, etc. The research work has been applied for 8 invention patents and discovered several lead compounds with potential drug-forming properties, among them, 6 patents were authorized.

1. Zhou, M.; Liu, C.; Guo, Y.; Qian, J.; Wang, Y.; Zhang, Z.; Hao, K.; Jiang, C.; Hu, Q. HQL6 Serves as a Novel P2Y14 Receptor Antagonist to Ameliorate Acute Gouty Arthritis Through Inhibiting Macrophage Pyroptosis. Int Immunopharmacol 2023, 114, 109507. (IF = 5.714)

2. Liu, C.; Zhou, M.; Jiang, W.; Ye, S.; Tian, S.; Jiang, C.; Hao, K.; Li, H.; Hu, Q.  GPR105-Targeted Therapy Promotes Gout Resolution as a Switch Between NETosis and Apoptosis of Neutrophils. Front Immunol 2022, 13, 870183. (IF = 8.786)

3. Hou, S.; Yang, X.; Yang, Y.; Tong, Y.; Chen, Q.; Wan, B.; Wei, R.; Lu, T.; Chen, Y.; Hu, Q. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of 1H-indazole derivatives as novel ASK1 inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2021, 220, 113482. (IF = 7.088)

4. Yang, X.; Zhi, J.; Leng, H.; Chen, Y.; Gao, H.; Ma, J.; Ji, J.; Hu, Q. The piperine derivative HJ105 inhibits Aβ_1-42-induced neuroinflammation and oxidative damage via the Keap1-Nrf2-TXNIP axis. Phytomedicine 2021, 87, 153571. (IF= 6.656)

5. Ye, S.; Zhou, M.; Jiang, W.; Liu, C.; Zhou, Z.; Sun, M.; Hu, Q. Silencing of Gasdermin D by siRNA-Loaded PEI-Chol Lipopolymers Potently Relieves Acute Gouty Arthritis through Inhibiting Pyroptosis. Mol Pharm 2021,18(2), 667–678. (IF = 5.364)

6. Lu, R.; Wang, Y.; Liu, C.; Zhang, Z.; Li, B.; Meng, Z.; Jiang, C.; Hu, Q.  Design, synthesis and evaluation of 3-amide-5-aryl benzoic acid derivatives as novel P2Y₁₄R antagonists with potential high efficiency against acute gouty arthritis. Eur J Med Chem 2021, 216, 113313. (IF = 7.088)

7. Wang, W.; Liu, C.; Li, H.; Tian, S.; Liu, Y.; Wang, N.; Yan, D.; Li, H.; Hu, Q. Discovery of novel and potent P2Y₁₄R antagonists via structure-based virtual screening for the treatment of acute gouty arthritis. J Adv Res 2020, 23, 133-142. (IF = 10.479)

8. Hao, K.; Jiang, W.; Zhou, M.; Li, H.; Chen, Y.; Jiang, F.; Hu, Q. Targeting BRD4 prevents acute gouty arthritis by regulating pyroptosis. Int J Biol Sci 2020 16(16), 3163–3173. (IF = 10.75)

9. Li, H.; Jiang, W.; Ye, S.; Zhou, M.; Liu, C.; Yang, X.; Hao, K.; Hu, Q. P2Y₁₄ receptor has a critical role in acute gouty arthritis by regulating pyroptosis of macrophages. Cell Death Dis 2020, 11(5), 394. (IF = 9.685)

10. Zhou, M.; Wang, W.; Li, Y.; Zhang, Q.; Ji, H.; Li, H.; Hu, Q. The role of P2Y₆R in cardiovascular diseases and recent development of P2Y6R antagonists. Drug Discov Today, 2020, 25(3), 568–573. (IF = 7.321)